Don't Hug Doug

 

Don't Hug Doug: (He Doesn't Like It) 
by Carrie Finison; illus. by Daniel Wiseman 
32 pages; ages 3-7
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2021

theme: hugs, individuality
 

You can hug a pug. You can hug a bug.
 
You could probably even hug a porcupine… ve-e-ery carefully. Just don’t hug Doug because he doesn’t like it! Even though Doug is a seriously no-hug type of guy, he likes you. Just not hugs.
 
What I like about this book: I love the illustration showing what Doug thinks about hugs: too squeezy and squashy. I love that Carrie Finison shows the great diversity of things that Doug likes. She then shows other ways that Doug lets his friends know that he likes you. Turns out Doug is a master of high fives. But here’s the point – and it’s important: everybody, including your cat, gets to decide for themselves whether they want a hug or not.

Beyond the Books:
 
Do you like to be hugged? Or would you rather not be hugged? Are there some people you let hug you and others you don’t?
 
Draw a picture of what you think about hugs. What are the things you like – or don’t like – about hugs?
 
How do you show your friends that you like them? Do you do high fives? Fist bumps? Jump-twirls? Elbow tags?
 
Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Reviewed from a copy provided by the publisher.

Night Lights

Welcome back to a new year filled with new books – and maybe a few old favorites. I will probably slack off a bit on reviews this spring. Not because my book basket’s empty – it’s not. But because I’m busy writing a book. With a friend. You know what they say: two heads are better than one!

Plus – I have a picture book coming out next month. It’s called 13 Ways to Eat a Fly, and I’ll be visiting some other blogs to talk about it.

But today I do have a book to share, and it’s perfect for winter. I remember seeing an aurora one night when I lived in Vermont - the sky shimmered with curtains of green... So grab a mug of cocoa and pull on a sweater because this review takes you outside into the frigid winter air.

Seeking an Aurora 
by Elizabeth Pulford; illus. by Anne Bannock 
32 pages; ages 3-7
Blue Dot Kids Press; 2021

theme: family, sky, winter

Late into the night Dad nudged me awake. “Come on,” he said.

Dad helps the child on with coat, hat, mittens – then they’re off to seek an aurora. They walk past cows in the pasture and up a hill and there above is the expanse of sky. Are the stars the aurora, the child asks. Wait, says dad. And then, silently, wings of color fly shimmer across the sky like a curtain of light.

What I like about this book: This is a nice, quiet book about a father sharing a special experience with his child. The child could be anyone – even the one reading the book – and the joy and wonder is universal. At some point in the book, dad tells the kid everything he knows about the aurora – but we never find out what he says until we flip to the back where there is a page titled, “Everything Dad Knew About the Aurora”

Pair it with Owl Moon, by Jane Yolen & illustrated by John Schoenherr.

Beyond the Books:

Learn more about the aurora. Here’s an article about what causes the Northern lights (aurora borealis) and another one. And here’s a video of northern lights from a few years ago.

If you can’t see an aurora, create your own. Make a tissue paper collage or use chalk to create an aurora light display on a piece of dark paper.

Go out on night walk when the sky is dark. What do you notice? When you get inside, write about what you saw and heard. You might write a poem or haiku or even a story.

The best way to discover an aurora display is to head outside at night when the sky is dark, and look toward the north (if you’re in the northern hemisphere and it’s winter). The lights depend on the level of geomagnetic activity: the more there is, the more chance of lights.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website.  Review copy provided by the publisher.